Letters to the Editor
Early Access
Why do cat flea infestations often occur on the upper limbs and trunk? Fleas do not fly…
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Published: 13 October 2025
110
Views
78
Downloads
Authors
Dear Editor,
Some species of fleas belonging to the genera Ctenocephalides, Pulex, and Xenopsylla can infest human skin. Multiple, isolated or clustered, roundish, erythematous, pruritic papules are the most typical clinical presentation of flea infestation. These lesions are very often located on the legs and ankles, as fleas are wingless but have powerful hind legs that allow them to leap up to 30 cm from the ground. [...]
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
Citations
1. Veraldi S, Süss L. [Cutaneous manifestations caused by arthropods]. Roma: Medizioni, 2022, 11-20.
2. Veraldi S, Carrera C, Schianchi R. Entomodermatitis. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 1998;11:S239. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0926-9959(98)95470-8
3. Veraldi S, Carrera C, Schianchi R. Skin manifestations caused by insect stings and bites. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 1999;12:S260.
4. Hunter KW Jr, Campbell AR, Sayles PC. Human infestation by cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae), from suburban raccoons. J Med Entomol 1979;16:547. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jmedent/16.6.547
5. Corpus LD, Corpus KM. Mass flea outbreak at a child care facility: case report. Am J Public Health 1991;81:497-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.81.4.497
6. Beck W, Clark HH. [Differential diagnosis of medically relevant flea species and their significance in dermatology]. Hautarzt 1997;48:714-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s001050050649
7. Naimer SA, Cohen AD, Mumcuoglu KY, Vardy DA. Household papular urticaria. Isr Med Assoc J 2002;4:911-3.
8. Noor Hayati MI, Jeffery J, Anisah N, Yusof S. Maculopapular rashes caused by cat flea Ctenocephalides felis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) bites in a university student. Trop Biomed 2002;19:131-4.
9. Brouqui P, Raoult D. Arthropod-borne diseases in homeless. Ann NY Acad Sci 2006;1078:223-35. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1196/annals.1374.041
10. Lee HL, Krishnasamy M, Jeffery J, Paramasvaran S. Notes on some ectoparasites received by the Medical Entomology Unit, Institute for Medical Research. Trop Biomed 2006;23:131-2.
11. Chin HC, Ahmad NW, Lim LH, et al. Infestation with the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis felis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) among students in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health 2010;41:1331-4.
12. Leelavathi M, Norhayati M, Lee YY. Cat flea infestation in a hospital: a case report. Korean J Parasitol 2012;50:79-82. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2012.50.1.79
13. Youssefi MR, Rahimi MT. Extreme human annoyance caused by Ctenocephalides felis felis (cat flea). Asian Pac J Trop Biomed 2014;4:334-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.12980/APJTB.4.2014C795
14. Lozano AM, López JF, Zakzuk J, García E. Urticaria papular y sus agentes causales en Colombia. Biomédica 2016;36:632-45. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7705/biomedica.v36i4.3258
15. Izri A, Akhoundi M. Bullous arthropod reaction secondary to Ctenocephalides felis. JAMA Dermatol 2025;161:208-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2024.5021
16. Rolfsen W, Schröder H, Tibell C, Tibell M. Detection of specific IgE antibodies towards cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis felis) in patients with suspected cat allergy. Allergy 1987;42:177-81. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1398-9995.1987.tb02196.x
17. Trudeau WL, Fernández-Caldas E, Fox RW, et al. Allergenicity of the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis felis). Clin Exp Allergy 1993;23:377-83. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2222.1993.tb00342.x
18. Sabogal P, Lozano A, Mercado D, et al. Cellular and humoral responses to Cte f 2, a cat flea allergen, in children with papular urticaria. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2019;179:89-101. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1159/000496743
19. Veraldi S, Serini SM, Alberti Violetti S. Sclerodermus domesticus infestation: an occupational disease in antiquarians and restorers. Dermatitis 2010;21:221-2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2310/6620.2010.10009
How to Cite
1.
Veraldi S, Schianchi R, Nazzaro G, Aromolo IF. Why do cat flea infestations often occur on the upper limbs and trunk? Fleas do not fly…. Dermatol Reports [Internet]. 2025 Oct. 13 [cited 2026 Apr. 18];. Available from: https://journals.pagepress.net/dr/article/view/10593
Copyright (c) 2025 the Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
